Side-gauge-locking device for slitters



' May 12,1925. 1,537,285

H. BANKE SIDE GAUGE LOCKING DEVICE FOR SLITTERS F119;! Oct. 16, 192.2 2Sheets-Sheet 1 :gINViTOZ.

' ATTORNEY May 12, 1925 1.531285 H. B ANKE I v SIDE GAUGE LOCKING DEVICEFOR SLITTERS Filed Oct, I6, 1922 .2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 12, 1925.

UNITE specification.

This invent on relates to sheet metal slitting machines" and moreparticularly to means in such machines for preventing delivery of thesheets to the cutting, or slitting elements until completely squared up,or

aligned.

The invention contemplates a construction in which gauging devices areemployed at the side as well as at the front of the table across whichthe sheets are fed and has for a principal object the provision ofmeansfor preventing delivery without its first coming into contact withboth the side and. front gai1gingdevices.

It is also a purpose of the invention to provide a practical andeconomical means for automatically insuring proper alignment of thesuccessive sheets as they are fed into 7 the machine.

Other objects and advantages of themvention will be apparent as it isbetter understood from the following description, which, taken inconnection with the accompanyinn drawings, discloses a preferredembodiment thereof;

Referring to the drawings,

Figure 1 is a plan view, partly broken away, of a slitting machine inwhich my invention is embodied; V I

Fig. 2 is a detail view of the gearing emfor operating the cuttershafts, and showing also the rock shaft bearing;

i is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 3- -3 in Fig.1 andshowing front gauging finger and its associated ploycd Fig. 3

locking mechanism;

Fig. 41 is adetail section taken through the upper part of one of thegauging fingers, showing its adjustable mounting;

'Fig. 5 is a section taken substantially on the line 55 of Fig. 1 andshowing the lock- 1) STATESPATENT OFFICE.

HERBERT BANKE, or MAYWOOD, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T0 AMERICAN can COMPANY,on NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION or NEVJ JERSEY.

sInIi-GAUen-LooKINe DEVICE roe sLIrrEns.

Application filed October is, 1922. Serial No. 594,944.

HERBERT BANKE, a gauge; and

mounted,

of a sheet tot-he cutters ing mechanism associated with the side F g.dis a view taken substantially on the section line 66 in Fig. 1.

The apparatus illustrated on the drawings comprises a table 11, which issuitably supported from the floor and upon which the operating mechanismof the machine is The slitting mechanism comprises a series of rotaryknives 12 and 13, which are mounted respectively on horizontal shafts lland 15, which shafts ai'e driven by means of a pulley 16 which ismounted on the lower shaft 14:. A gear 17 on said shaft 14 meshes with asecond gear 18 on the shaft 15, whereby both said shaftsare driven indesired manner to accomplish the cutting action. A rocksliaft 19 ismounted above the cutters, having hearings in ex tensions 20 of brackets21 and 22. gauging fingers 23 are adjustably mounted upon this shaft,being secured by a set screw 24 and clamping screws 25 and 26 to a blockcam 27 which is clamped upon said shaft by means of a bolt 28., Said camis provided at the front with a guideway in which the upper vertical end29 of a finger 23 is mounted, and said end 29 is providedwith a slot- 31permitting adjustment thereof.

A guard 32 is securedto the table 11 near the front thereof and isprovided at the top with a grooved guide 33 in which are adjustablysecured brackets 34 to which locking fingers 35 are pivotally attachedat One of said locking fingers is associated with each gauging finger23and their functionwill be, apparent upon inspection of Figure 3. Itwill be noted that the fingers have their upper ends held'in contactwith a shoulder 37 on the block 27 by means of a spring 38, and thusprevent rotation of the shaft 19 until disengaged from said shoal-i derby means of an advancing sheet bearing against the lower ends 39 of thefingers which are disposed in the path of the sheets and in advance ofthe gauging fingers 23. Since either of the locking fingers 35will serveto prevent rotation of the shaft 19, it is obvious that a sheet must actupon each Front of them in order to permit it to pass and thus the frontedge must be square before a sheet can be delivered to the rotarycutters 12 and 13. The rotation of the shaft 19 under the influence ofthe gauge fingers 23 is yieldingly resisted and the shaft returned tonormal position by a spring secured at one end to an arm l0 on saidshaft and at the other end to the frame.

I also provide a side gauging device, which consists of a lever llpivoted at 4:2 to a bracket 48 which is adjustably secured to the table11. In order that a sheet may have its proper lateral position, it isnecessary that it contact with this side gauging device, as well as thefront gauging fingers 23 and I, therefore, provide means for insuringsuch contact before the sheet can pass. This means comprises a verticallocking bar H, which is pivotally connected at to an extension of thebracket 43 and is normally pressed away therefrom by means of a leafspring 46. Said bar M is disposed beneath an arm 47 which is securedupon the shaft 19 by means of a screw bolt 48. hen in this position,rotation of the shaft 19 is prevented by the side locking device, aswell as by the fingers 35.

Referring now to Fig. 6, it will be observed that when a sheet,indicated in this figure by the character 49, comes in contact with thelever 41, said lever acts upon a projection 51 011 the lowerpart of thebar d4: and forces said baragainst the tension of the spring 46 frombeneath the arm 4-7, thus releasing the shaft 19. lVhen the sheet hasthen released the front locking mechanism, by contact with the separatefingers 35, the rock shaft 19 may rotate under the influence of thegauging fingers 23, which are provided at their lower ends with rollers52 and adapted to be lifted by the force of the advancing sheet. Tableextensions 53 are provided adjacent said gauging fingers 23 and serve tosupport the sides of the sheet as it passes between the rotary cutters.

From the foregoing, it will be manifest that a sheet must be broughtfirst into contact with the side gauge ll and then with the frontgauges, before the shaft 19 can be rotated, and thus accurate alignmentis insured at the time the sheet is delivered to the cutters. A spring5'' is provided be tween the forward end of the lever 41 and the bracketa3 and serves to normally hold said lever in its outer position whilepermitting it to recede under the influence of a moving sheet. Thisspring permits the passage of an irregular sheet port-ion after thefront of the sheet has been engaged by the cutters and also normallyholds the bar at in its locking position.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantageswill be understood froin the foregoing description, and

it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form,construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from thespirit and scope of the invention, or sacrificing all of its materialadvantages, the form hereinbefore described being morely a preferredembodiment thereof.

I claim:

1. in a sheet metal slitting machine, the combination of slittingelements, a table supporting the sheets as they are fed to saidelements, front and side gauging devices for squaring the sheets uponsaid table, and locking means for said gauging devices rcquiring contactby the sheets with each of said devices prior to their being advanced tosaid cutting elements.

2. Ina sheet metal slitting machine, the combination of slittingelements, a table across which the sheets are fed to said elements,gauging devices adaptedto engage edges of the sheets, which edges areangularly disposed relative to each other, and means for preventingadvance of the sheets to the slitting elements until after they haveacted upon each of said devices.

3. In a sheet metal slitting machine, the combination of slittingelements, a table across which the sheets are fed to said elements,gauging devices at the front of the table, meansfor locking said devicesto prevent passage of a sheet except upon contact with each thereof,side gauging means, and locking means preventing the advance of asheet'to the slitting elements without contactwith said side gaugingmeans.

4. In a sheet metal slitting machine, the

combination of slitting elements, a support across which the sheets'arefed to said elements, and means for squaring the sheets upon saidsupport, said means comprising a plurality of front gauging fingers, anda side gauging device, and means requiring contact of a sheetwith eachof said fingers and said de ice prior to its being advanced to thecutting elements. 5. In a sheet metal slitting machine, the combinationof slitting elements, a supportacross which the sheets are fed to saidelements, a plurality of gauging devices adapted to engage edges of anadvancing sheet, which edges are at an angle to each other, and meansrequiring contact of a sheet with each of said devices prior to itsentry into the slitting elements.

(3. In a sheet metal slitting machine, the combination of cutters, atable upon which the sheets are advanced to said cutters, a plurality ofgauging lingers supported above said tabl near the front thereof, a rockshaft upon which said fingers are su ported, gaugin means at the side oftie table, and means for preventing rotation of said rock shaft toremove said front gauging l'igers from the path of the sheet, exceptupon contact of said sheet with both said gorted, means associated Witheach of said u side gauging means and said fingers, 'ngers forpreventing rotation of the shaft 1 7. In a sheet metal slitting machine,the except When a sheet acts upon said fingers combination of cutters, atable upon which simultaneously, side gauging means, and

the sheets are advanced to said cutters, a means for preventing rotationof said shaft plurality of gauging fingers supported unless the sheetact also upon said side above said table near the front thereof, agauging means. 7 rock shaft upon which said fingers are sup- HERBERTBANKE.

